Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported to President Vladimir Putin that Russian troops had captured Lisichansk and Luhansk regions, news agencies reported.

All about the topic:

Russian invasion of Ukraine 6247

"Sergei Shoigu reported to the Supreme Commander of the Russian Armed Forces Vladimir Putin that the Luhansk People's Republic has been liberated," the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The agency notes that the Russian troops and militias of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic have established complete control, except for Lisichansk and a number of nearby settlements, the largest of which are Belogorovka, Novodruzhesk, Maloryazantsevo and Belaya Gora.

Ukrainian fighters have been defending Lisichansk for weeks and trying to prevent it from following the fate of neighboring Severodonetsk, which fell into Russian hands last week.

Last night, a Ukrainian presidential adviser predicted that the fate of Lisichansk would likely be decided within days.

Russian invasion of Ukraine